Annie and Kevin are so perfect together. When she is nervous, he is calm. When he is silly she is grounded. The best part about them though, is that when he laughs, she laughs. If there is one piece of marriage advice that we hear wedding after wedding from those who are toasting the happy couple, it's not to take life too seriously and have fun together. Annie and Kevin have this figured out. They have an infectious love that draws others in. People smile when they see Annie and Kevin together - what is more beautiful than that? We, for one didn't stop smiling throughout their entire wedding day. It was a 100% chance of rain all day long, but every time we went outside with them, it wasn't raining. We'll never know if it actually rained that day because even though things were wet, there was no rain. Because it was so foggy, I like to think that God sent a giant cloud to follow Annie and Kevin around so they wouldn't have to have rain on their wedding day. One of our favorite photos from their wedding was right before their ceremony. They decided that they did not want to see each other before the ceremony, but they wanted to hold hands in between a wall right outside of the church. We found just the right spot for the two of them to hold hands for a moment before we turned Kevin around and led Annie back to her girls and her father who was waiting to walk her down the aisle. The look on Kevin's face when he saw his beautiful bride walking down the aisle was priceless, and we loved how they kept stealing glances (and winking!) at one another throughout the ceremony. After the ceremony we whisked off to the Smith Barn at Brooksby Farm in Peabody Mass for their adorable reception. We were in heaven shooting with such a thick fog and lush grass in the apple orchards, and we even found a field with seeded dandelions (you know, the ones you blow and make a wish on?) which we thought was fitting since Annie has had a special place in her heart for dandelions since her childhood. The night continued on with a hopping dance floor and some non-stop photo booth action (more about that next week). Annie and Kevin, you two are so deserving of one another. We're so happy for you!
Guest Post with Prairie Fair: Sweet Spring
Hi Friends! Today we have something fun lined up for you. Our dearest Emily from Prairie Fair in Minnesota is here to share a guest post with us about flowers! She'll teach us through photos how to make a boutineer, a flower wreath and a bouquet! Perfect for those of you thinking about DIY-ing your own flowers, and also just in time for Mother's Day in case you're feeling inspired to make mom a little floral present. Since Emily is based in Minnesota, she had the amazingly talented Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Eric Lundgren take photos for this - so these photos were not taken by us. We think the whole thing is just perfect, and we hope you do to! Take it away, Emily!
Hello Dear Readers of Summer Street. My name is Emily, and while I’ve been lucky enough to have my Prairie Fair flower arrangements and styling appear on this beautiful blog several times this is my first experience writing to all of you! I couldn’t be more thrilled. The rapturously amazing Kendra is my oldest friend in the world; we met when we were three, went to the same elementary school, graduated high school together, simultaneously received degrees in dance from the University of Minnesota, and both went into the wedding industry as a complimentary occupation to our dance careers. As you can see, we’re fated friends. I’ve also had the pleasure of knowing Matt for years, and eating some of his baked goods and talking over the day is one of my favorite things to do. I’m so in love with the both of them.
One amazing part of our friendship is that Kendra, Matt, and I have been able to work together on several weddings and photoshoots over the years. Since we don’t live in the same city right now, we always try to find ways to continue our collaborations. With wedding season upon us and Mother’s Day fast approaching (I love you, Marmy!) it only seemed appropriate that Kendra and Matt would want me to share a little bit about those crowns to our wedding ensembles and heart-melters of moms everywhere…flowers.
But before I go any further, can I let you in on a little secret?…I love muscari. Loooooooove. To the moon and back twice times a million do I love them. When I see their beautiful bells opening in my mother’s garden at the base of the lilac tree and scattered amongst the tulips and daffodils I feel like I’ve found a fairy in an enchanted forest. Every spring this happens, this wonder and thrill, and every year I fall in love with them all over again.
I must admit, I can say this for so many flowers, well any time of the year truthfully, but especially in Spring. There’s no greater joy than being overwhelmed by the smell of lilacs on the bush as you walk passed during your post dinner stroll; there is perfection in the long necks of the narcissus and the softness of the snow crabs. I’m in heaven right now soaking up every scent, color, and delicate bloom. If tiny fragile lilies of the valley can push up through the snow and cold only to fade and do it all over again next year then there most certainly is hope and promise for me and for you.
In celebration of the season I made three pieces: a boutonniere or corsage that is both sweet and dramatic, a simple graceful hair wreath, and a lush bouquet that celebrates all the glories of fading cold and early warmth. 
For the bout I used a ranunculus, a double tulip, a sprig of veronica, and a begonia leaf that I cut from my indoor garden. For some subtle drama I wrapped them in a simple and slightly sheer black ribbon. Tis the season for twitterpation after all.
Hair wreaths are the epitome of beauty and femininity to me. I would wear one everyday if I could (made while wandering through a field of flowers ideally.) In fact after the shoot I wore this crown of my beloved muscari, ginestra, and veronica all day until my special boy kindly removed it from my sleeping head (in addition to the Pride & Prejudice playing computer perched on my lap.)
As for the Big Mama…well she is Spring incarnated: ranunculus, muscari, begonia, anemone, double tulips, and two varieties of lilac. (Truth be told I never ended up using begonia in the arrangement but threw in some veronica instead!)
Aside from perhaps the ranunculus and anemone, all of these flowers are abundant in gardens right now (even in your corner grocery store!) Gather some up and place them in a jar on the kitchen table for your mom, sister, friend, grandma, and especially for yourself! Or even better yet carry them, lyrical and radiant (just like you!), down your tulip lined wedding aisle.
I tied my bouquet with a gorgeous vintage ribbon that I purchased two summers ago while wandering through antique stores in Concord, Mass with Kendra. Heavenly.
So what is your secret? Do you love muscari too? Or the smell of freshly cut grass? Have you always dreamed of wearing a crown of flowers as you say “I do” or finishing your favorite book seated in the limbs of a blossoming cherry tree? Let’s share all the promise of dreams fulfilled, the inherent hope of budding branches and sweet smelling magnolia, because Spring is really here!
Love,
Emily
Christine + Jay = Married
There are some weddings that Matt and I leave with a big smile plastered across our face. Christine and Jay's stunning Boston wedding was one of them. Christine and Jay live on the wharf and wanted a wedding that reflected their urban neighborhood and chic taste. What better venue than The Seaport Hotel (which is right across the street from their home) to celebrate in style? When I arrived at their home for the getting ready portion of the day, the room was buzzing with a relaxed and exciting vibe. Christine was glowing with a radiant peace and her bridesmaids and parents were enjoying themselves. Matt's report of the guys getting ready was much in the same. Jay and his crew enjoyed some scotch and jokes before heading into the limo to the church. Christine and Jay were married at the same church that Christine's parents got married in so many years ago. One sweet little detail that we loved was Christine's request to replicate a photo of her mother and grandfather walking down the aisle to frame side by side after the wedding. The ceremony was filled with love and joy as they became husband and wife, and the party that followed was everything they hoped for. A buzzing cocktail hour filled with hugs, funny grand entrances by the bridal party, heart warming toasts from their siblings, a gorgeous cake and a hopping dance floor. Oh yeah, and did we mention a beautiful sunset with the Boston skyline in the background? That was everything *we* were hoping for. Christine and Jay, you two are so sweet together and we wish you many many years of happiness. Congratulations!
Jessica + Andrew = Engaged
We're excited to show you a few more engagement sessions before the big wave of weddings we've got lined up for you in the coming weeks. Truth be told, we've scheduled almost all of our remaining engagement sessions in April or May so that we can be in full wedding mode once June hits since our calender is quite steady from then until November. So while you've been getting a lot of engagement session goodness the last few weeks, it's about to turn into lots of white dresses (which no one can argue being a bad thing). For today we'll enjoy sweet Jessica and Andrew's classic Boston Engagement Session. We met up with these two at the Boston Public Library, headed down the Commonwealth Avenue Green way (and caught some cool light coming through the sprinklers!) and then ended in the Boston Public Garden. We probably saw three engagement sessions happening in the Garden while we were there, but there is a reason it's such a popular spot to take photos. It's gorgeous and every nook and cranny feels just a little bit different. We thoroughly enjoyed hearing about Jessica and Andrew's life together and their plans to marry in Philadelphia next spring. They were clearly rocking out the camera since we couldn't find one photo they both didn't look smashing in. Congrats Jessica and Andrew!
Dawn + Robbie = Engaged
Dawn and Robbie met playing tennis. Robbie is a professional tennis instructor, and Dawn just happened to enroll in some lessons. Their meeting turned into a friendship which eventually turned into a budding romance and now they are preparing to tie the knot on the North Shore this October. We've been working with Dawn and Robbie since last fall, but since they live in NYC and we in Boston, their engagement session was the first time we officially met in person. We felt like we knew them since we had been chatting with them over e-mail for so long, but there really is no better connection than meeting in person. These two were twice as lovely as our expectations, (which were high anyway) and our time with them made us even more thrilled that we get to shoot their wedding. For their engagement session, they brought along their sweet chocolate lab, Miley, who was a person-magnet in Central Park. Everyone wanted to stop and pet Miley - but who could blame them with a sweet face like that? One of the best parts of photographing in the spring are the blooming trees. We felt like we'd hit the goldmine with an arbor of wisteria, and then our pick of any of the blooming cherry blossom trees in the park. Dawn and Robbie are perfect compliments - both to the serene setting central park provided as our backdrop - and to each other. We can't wait for their wedding in October!
Melissa + Jonathan = Engaged
There isn't a day that goes by that both Matt and I feel incredibly blessed and excited by our job as photographers. We've said it before, and we'll say it again; our clients are awesome. Not only do we get to experience a period of peoples lives that is full of love and excitement, be right by their side surrounded by the people they love most as they become a family...we also get to meet new friends. Melissa and Jonathan are no exception. You may remember that Melissa and Jonathan were the masterminds behind our new website, logo and branding. They are both Graphic Designers living in Brooklyn who are not only incredibly talented at what they do, they are also really splendid people. We've gotten to know them both professionally and personally throughout the last year and we're getting excited for their June wedding which will be at Melissa's father's Farm in New Hampshire. Jonathan proposed to Melissa at a bookstore in their neighborhood (as seen above) with an amazing project that he crafted by hand with a mini accordion booklet of their love story hidden inside an old expenses journal (also seen above). The old book was hidden in the shelves of the store and Jonathan helped guide Melissa to look at it, open it and read what Jonathan has written. Then he got on one knee and asked her to be his wife. How sweet is that? They are going to be incorporating the accordion style paper goods into their wedding, along with dozens of other personalized touches. We more than enjoyed our time photographing them around their neighborhood in Brooklyn and know that it's just a small taste of the goodness that is yet to come!
Annie + Kevin = Engaged
We couldn't think of a better photo session to share with you on a Monday than Annie and Kevin's New York City Engagement Session. These two. I tell you. Matt and I had the privilege of watching them perform last winter up in Lowell during part of their comedy tour, and they. are. hilarious. On top of that, they are some of the most down to earth, sweetest people you will ever know. In fact, It seems that we are not alone in our adoration for Annie and Kevin. We met up with them in the big apple a few weeks back where they work and live, and we decided to photograph around the famous toy store, FAO Schwartz, where they first met (she was a princess and he was a soldier...btw.). During the brief visit to FAO, Annie and Kevin bumped into a half a dozen people who they knew during their employment there so many years ago, and they made not one but THREE grown men cry at their presence. THREE. Everyone who knew them couldn't stop hugging and congratulating them on this exciting time in their lives (their wedding is next week after all). It was adorable. They are also even friends with the Muppets. Doesn't that compilation of images above crack you up? Because we can't stop laughing over here. Annie and Kevin, we can't wait for your wedding. You guys are awesome.
Erin + Steve = Engaged
We had the privilege of meeting Erin and Steve in Portsmouth, NH a few weeks back for their engagement session. They will be getting married in the south this November and wanted a photo session to capture a glimpse of their lives in New England and wished to take advantage of the beautiful backdrop in Rye Beach and Portsmouth. Steve spent summers on Rye Beach with his family, so of course you know that we always love when couples incorporate their personal histories into their photos. When we arrived to shoot around the incredible Heritage Houses on Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth, Erin mentioned that they were really nervous and had never done anything like this before. We assured them that we don't usually work with models, and that feeling nervous was totally normal. Little did we know just how incredibly photogenic these two are. I mean seriously, go back to the top and look through these photos again. Don't they look smashing?! We loved their little touches of having a beach picnic with Prosecco and their rad sunglasses. So much fun. They were troopers through the beach photos because although the light is gooey and lush, behind those cameras are coats, hats and mittens. It was freezing, so Erin and Steve also win the 'keeping their cool' award for looking so care free and warm in the chilly temps. Congrats, Erin and Steve, we know you will have an amazing wedding and we wish you all the best!
Sneak Peek: NYC
Happy Monday! Or if you're in Boston, Happy Marathon/Patriots Day! While Boston is buzzing with warm weather and the excitement of the big run, we're busy working on some images from our trip to NYC last weekend. One of the reasons we love living in New England is the close proximity of so many exciting destinations including New York City. We have a handful of clients who live in the big apple or even further south in Philadelphia who will be having weddings in the Boston area this year. We're always looking for a good excuse to travel, so we headed down to New York for the weekend last weekend to do some portrait sessions. There will be lots more photos from these sessions in the coming weeks, so keep in mind that this is just a little taste of the sessions we did while we were there.
On Friday we met up with Annie and Kevin who will be getting married in May.
Little story about this last image: Annie and Kevin met while working at FAO Schwartz, so we started our session taking photos around the store. We have more to share about this fun portion of the shoot when we blog their entire session, but we couldn't resist sharing this shot from the Angry Birds section of the store. Makes us laugh every time.
Next we met up with Dawn, Robbie and their adorable lab, Miley in Central Park!
Don't you just love this last pair? It has my heart a-flutter.
Then it was over to Brooklyn to meet up with the amazing Melissa and Jonathan who designed our website! 
They are the cutest.
A fun shot I got during their session in Brooklyn while the sun was setting over Manhatten
And finally we got to meet up with the super talented, Tzo Ai from Ang Weddings and Events. After tea and her generous gifting of some tasty macarons (which seems to be an excellent recurring event) we snapped a few headshots of her in the flat iron district.
There you have it! A small taste of Summer Street's weekend in the big apple. Watch for all of their individual blog posts in the coming weeks, there's a lot more where this came from!
Moriah + Ned = Engaged
Boston in the fall is gorgeous. Tourists flock, locals savor and the trees show off their brightest shades. Boston in the spring? Boston in the spring is a little secret that only locals know. For three weeks each spring, the cherry blossoms and magnolia trees bloom as if it's going out of style. There is nothing more romantic or hopeful than the sight of flowering trees against the aged streets of Boston. We couldn't have picked a better day to capture Moriah and Ned's Engagement Session. They live in Beacon Hill and wanted a relaxed engagement session showcasing their neighborhood. We're suckers for local history, and both Moriah and Ned knew a lot about the history of Beacon Hill - which we thoroughly enjoyed. We also couldn't help but notice how well these two worked together. We especially loved Ned's ability to get Moriah to laugh. If that isn't the sign of a successful future marriage we don't' know what is!
Leandra + James = Married
When we met with Leandra and James last fall as they were planning their red and black March wedding, we loved hearing their plans to create an event that captured their personalities. James plays the lead guitar in a Rockabilly Band and Leandra's favorite color is red, to which James added that it took a lot of encouragement to Leandra not to paint their entire house crimson. Even further than their mutual love of good music and bold colors, it was clear to us that Leandra and James belonged together. They finished each other's sentences and looked at one another as though their hearts were on their sleeve.
When we arrived to photograph the ladies getting ready at the hotel, the energy was buzzing and all of Leandra's sisters and nieces were putting the finishing touches on their ruby lips. There were lots of bodies in the small hotel room but Leandra was as cool as a cucumber. We later made our way over to Bittersweet Farms where the barn-like reception hall had been turned into an fun and funky party filled with little details like Mad Limbs on the tables and an incredible vampire bride and groom cake topper that Leandra made (Leandra is a girl after my own heart as she DIY'd nearly EVERYTHING at her wedding). Also waiting at the venue was a sweet and slightly nervous James. Once Leandra walked down the aisle the world seemed to melt away and everyone was enraptured by Leandra and James' sweet demeanor with one another.
The party got off to an energetic start after they walked down the aisle as husband and wife, and we took advantage of the setting sun for family photos and portraits of the newlyweds around the grounds of Bittersweet Farms (we can't pick a favorite photo of the two of them from their portraits!) Later on they cut their cake (which a friend made for them) and boogied down to music from The Memphis Rockabilly Band, which definitely one of the coolest wedding bands we've ever seen!
Regina + Arnaud = Expecting
We've got a busy day full of editing today, but we couldn't resist sharing the last photo session from our time in Paris a few weeks back with Regina, Arnaud, their adorable pup Oliver and the sweetest baby bump south of the Eiffel Tower. Their baby girl is due to come into the world any day now, and we couldn't be more excited for them. We enjoyed hearing about their lives in France and missing our own dogs as their adorable fur-baby Oliver ran around chasing squirrels. They've got a lot of big changes in the horizon of course with the baby, but they also showed us a new apartment they would be moving into, as pictured above. Special thanks to Erica from Haven in Paris for introducing us to Regina and her family. If you're looking for a special place to stay in Paris, Haven in Paris has some amazing vacation rentals that we've got bookmarked for our next trip. Félicitations Regina et Arnaud!
Florence
We've got one more Parisian photo session to share with you, but first we thought we'd take you to a different part of Europe. A few weeks back we showed you photos from our honeymoon in Paris, and today we are back to show you a few shots of the city of Florence. After we were in Paris for a few days we stayed in Tuscany for a week, and while we thought we might spend more time in Florence, the weather was so warm that we could only manage one day exploring this ancient city. One of our favorite things in Florence was the Mercato Centrale, where all kinds of wonderful and delicious food is sold. We're still savoring the truffles that we bought there!
Hermionie + Mathieu in Paris
We're rushing around the office a bit today as we prep to go shoot a wedding this afternoon (whohoo!) but we couldn't resist sharing a few more photos from our trip to Paris. This session is near and dear to our hearts since it took place in our most favorite little neighborhood of Paris; Montmartre! One of my best friends lived in Paris for a year when I was in college, and after visiting her and getting to know the ins and outs of Montmartre, I've made it a priority to always stay there when I visit Paris. It's becoming a contagious habit! There is an old world charm in Montmartre, and every little nook and cranny feels like a storybook. We can't get enough of it, so when deciding on a location for local photographer Hermionie and her beau Matthew's photo session - Montmartre was our first choice. Hermionie is a photographer in Paris and does photo tours for visitors, teaching them how to use their cameras to capture environment shots around Paris, and also takes portraits of couples and families while they are visiting Paris - how cool is that?! We had a blast chatting about the photography scene in Paris and taking photos of her with her boyfriend, Matthew. If you could have a photoshoot with your love in any place in the world, where would it be?
Rachel + Jilali = Engaged
Where do we even begin with this one? Rachel is an American living in Paris (...jealous...) where she got a job after law school and met the love of her life, Jilali, who is French. They worked together, became friends, and fell in love. They are getting married in September in Paris and will be moving to London for work after the wedding. While we're not shooting their wedding, we were able to meet up with them while we were in Paris to capture a glimpse of their lives in together - in the city the met, fell in love and got engaged. We met up with them in the Tuileries Garden (where Rachel gifted me with the best present ever). The Tuileries are right in front of the Louve, which made a beautiful backdrop. We then made our way to the Pont des Arts, which is a foot bridge over the Seine River which has hundreds of love locks on it. Couples come from all over the world bringing a padlock along to lock on the bridge together and then throw the key into the water below. Rachel had an adorable lock custom made with their names and wedding date on it. (Collective awwww...). After we photographed them throwing their key into the water we jumped down along the Siene for a few shots of the two of them, and then grabbed a taxi to get some photos of in front of the Eiffel Tower as the sun was setting. We had an amazing time photographing these two and hearing all about their love story. Félicitations Rachel et Jilali!